


taste of her lips

by florallylly



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baker AU, Exes, F/F, Post-Break Up, but i dont think i included everyone's names, oh yeah baking competition au, ten points to whoever can tell which girls are from which bakery, the other members are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-22 00:11:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17652359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/florallylly/pseuds/florallylly
Summary: because even after all those years, the taste of her still lingered on her lips





	1. day one

_“baby, your cupcakes are amazing.” mina groaned, licking a bit of the frosting off the top of her cupcake. “what do you put in them? crack?”_

 

_jihyo laughed, tip toeing a little bit to plant a soft kiss on mina’s forehead. “sure babe, i put crack in it.”_

 

_“what flavor is this? i would say vanilla, but it’s a little different.”_

 

_“it’s the taste of your lips.” jihyo laughed, dodging mina’s playful slaps._

 

jihyo shook her hands, trying to stop them from trembling. taking a couple deep breaths, she closed her eyes, trying to get rid of her nerves. jeongyeon rubbed her back, gentle, but reassuring. after a couple seconds, jihyo opened her eyes again before shaking her head. there was no use getting nervous now, right?

 

jeongyeon opened her mouth, probably ready to spout some cheesy, inspirational pinterest quote, but before she could get anything more than a “you-” out, the host of the show, some gorgeous hollywood has been took his place in front of the camera. without a second thought, the rest of the crew scurried out of view after making a few last minute touches to the set, and the director silently counted down before signaling the host.

 

“bakers all over the country have competed to get to this point, and now here, we have the top five, chosen by our favorite two judges, sana minatozaki and momo hirai. As always, they will be joined by a special guest judge, but before we introduce this episode’s mystery judge, here are our competitors.” the host dropped his sparkly grin, massaging his cheeks while the editor’s cut in the preliminary interviews and videos they had filmed before hand.

 

on the director’s cue, the shiny host took up his wide grin again, “and now, our judges. sana minatozaki.” jeongyeon nudged jihyo’s hand, and the two of them applauded along with the rest of the set as a slender woman walked in. she was a famous pastry chef, known for her delicate cakes and sweet cookies, and jeongyeon’s long time celebrity crush. sana smiled at each contestant, sitting down once the clapping died down.

 

“and momo hirai.” another round of polite applause as momo walked in. she was a famous home baker, and a previous winner of the competition. jihyo smiled. she had learned a lot from momo’s youtube channel, including her favorite cinnamon roll recipe. before momo could sit down, the host had already moved on. “and now, our special guest judge: her bakery is famous internationally, and she was recently named ‘japan’s most famous baker,’ by forbes, mina myoui!”

 

and suddenly jihyo wasn’t shaking anymore. and it wasn’t until jeongyeon’s clammy hand squeezed hers that she realized she hadn’t even been breathing. she took a shaky breath before turning slightly towards her friend, “it’s. her.” jeongyeon’s eyes widened, but jihyo didn’t see, her eyes deadset ahead on the door mina was supposed to come out of. her grip on jeongyeon’s hand tightened. was she ready for this?

 

_“are you ready?” mina called out shyly from behind the bathroom door._

 

_“of course, babe.” jihyo laughed, trying to sound reassuring, but really, her heart was beating uncontrollably and her palms were sweating._

 

_the door to the bathroom opened, excruciatingly slow, and jihyo held her breath in anticipation. and finally, finally, mina came out._

 

_“...fuck” jihyo breathed, too distracted to form a coherent thought._

 

_“that good?” mina twirled, the dress flaring out as she did so, and jihyo felt her mouth go dry._

 

_“better,”_

 

jihyo didn’t even blink, her eyes set on the door. and after what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened. her lip was bitten red, caught between her teeth, and no matter how much it hurt, she was too nervous to unclench her jaw. forget how she had felt earlier, this was real anxious energy.

 

and then she saw her. as beautiful as ever. she had grown out her hair, now up to the middle of her back, no longer just brushing the tops of her shoulders. and she looked healthy, happy even. her cheeks rosy, probably because she was feeling shy. she was always shy around strangers. mina’s eyes roamed the set, but jihyo’s gaze was constant, and it didn’t take long for mina’s eyes to find jihyo’s.

 

and suddenly, all the tension that was in her body was gone. her hand went limp in jeongyeon’s and her gaze fell. because when mina had looked at her, jihyo could see it in her eyes: hurt. what had she been hoping for anyway?

 hollywood host interrupted jihyo’s thoughts, “this week’s theme- ‘true love.’ you will be judged on taste, bake, and presentation. for this challenge, you will have to make 3 different cupcakes for our judges to sample, using natural aphrodisiacs. you have 75 minutes.... starting now!”

 

jihyo stood there for a second longer than she should have, but she shook herself out of it, and started planning with jeongyeon. she had come here for one reason- to win, and not to get distracted by some ex-girlfriend. still, she let her eyes linger a moment longer before diverting her attention to jeongyeon.

 

_the ring sparkled under the light, and jihyo couldn’t stop looking at it. she was so caught up in the euphoria of it all that she barely noticed the front door open._

 

_“baby! are you home?” mina pushed open the bedroom door with her foot, her arms full of tupperware. “my mom dropped off some food at my place, and god knows i can’t finish it all.’_

 

_jihyo snapped the box shut, shoving it under the pillow before mina could look up, but apparently she hadn’t been able to wipe the grin off her face because,_

 

_“what are you smiling at?”_

 

_“nothing.” mina scrunched her nose._

 

_“okay, whatever you say babe.”_

 

if there was ever a time jihyo was thankful for jeongyeon, this was it. she may complain about her friend daily, but one thing jeongyeon knew was flavor. jihyo always had to experiment to get her combinations perfect, but somehow jeongyeon knew which flavors would blend, and how to do it flawlessly.

 

“i’m thinking chocolate- famous aphrodisiac. we could do something simple like chocolate strawberries.”

 

“we could do more of a spicy chocolate. chili is on their list of aphrodisiacs, and you can do something like a fiery hot chocolate or something.” jeongyeon cut in, and the two brainstormed for a couple more minutes before rushing off to get their cupcakes started.

 

jihyo started on the batter, following her tried and tested chocolate cupcake recipe before handing it off to jeongyeon to add chili powder. the whole time, she felt eyes on her back, and she tried to shake it off. she had more important things to do now.

 

and before she knew it, all three batches were in the oven, and they were onto the buttercream. jeongyeon worked on flavoring the frosting, and jihyo started tempering the chocolate to make little toppers for their chocolate cupcake. once she started piping the design onto a piece of parchment paper, the ever talkative show host passed by.

 

“and in this corner, we have, representing ‘one in a million’ bakery, jihyo park and jeongyeon yoo. what are you ladies up to?”

 

jihyo looked up, wiping the sweat off her brow. she opened her mouth to answer the question, but nothing came out.

 

_jihyo hummed softly. she didn’t want to wake mina up. god, if they could lay like that forever._

 

_mina lay on jihyo’s chest, fast asleep, and everytime jihyo moved a little, the little gap between her eyebrows scrunched up like she was confused. it was moments like these that jihyo really remembered the velvet box she kept hidden on the bottom of her purse._

 

_but even though she was so sure about the two of them, she was still scared. more than rejection, jihyo was worried about how she would support mina in the future. they had always planned to open a bakery together, but it was hard to make money. they would probably be in the red for several months, if not years, after they opened._

 

_so the velvet box stayed tucked away. because no matter how much jihyo knew mina didn’t care, she couldn’t help worrying._

 

_and when mina woke up and saw they worry written on jihyo’s face, and asked, “what’s wrong.” she couldn’t say anything._

 

jeongyeon rushed in, “i’m making the buttercream for our cupcakes right now, and jihyo is working on some chocolate decorations. and shit, i have to pull the cupcakes out of the oven now.”

 

slapping her cheeks lightly, jihyo followed jeongyeon to the oven, pulling the trays out after checking the center of one of the cupcakes, setting them onto a rack to cool. she lingered there for a second, trying to compose herself before going back.

 

jeongyeon pulled jihyo close, hissing out a “get yourself together, you idiot. there’s more at stake than some girl who makes you hot under the covers. i don’t care if she’s your ex, snap out of it.” jihyo nodded, and before they knew it, there were only thirty seconds left of the clock, and they were placing the finishing touches on their three cupcakes.

 

“time is up in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. bakers, your work is done. please step away from your cupcakes. the judges will start with the first group. please come up to the table.” jihyo and jeongyeon stood back. they had done all they could, and now only the judges could decide.

 

the two of the dared not breath until they were called up, too nervous to even move. but once they were called to the table, jeongyeon sprung into action, bringing up the plates with their cupcakes.

 

they stood in front of the table, and as they watched the three women try their cakes, jeongyeon held her hand out, and jihyo grabbed it, both of them holding tight. and if jihyo had looked up from the ground, she would have noticed mina’s eyes lingering on their hands.

 

finally, sana spoke up “i really enjoyed your cupcakes. they were well baked- moist, but not too dense, and the buttercream was perfect and light.”

 

“you had some interesting combinations, but overall, your cupcakes tasted amazing.” momo added.

 

mina looked up from her plate, “i’ll admit, your cupcakes were technically perfect- in terms of bake and presentation, but your vanilla cupcake… is so ‘blah.’” jihyo swallowed hard. this was not what she had been expecting. “you had two unique cupcakes: chocolate chilli and strawberry basil, which i admire, which is why i was disappointed when your last cupcake fell flat.”

 

the two girls looked at each other before jeongyeon squeaked out a “thank you.” and pulled jihyo back to their station.

 

“i can see why you broke up with her.” jeongyeon sneered.

 

“she’s not being mean,” jihyo whispered, “she’s helping us.”

 

_“babe, honestly?” mina looked at jihyo, “i know your chocolate chip cookie recipe is a godsend, but for a baking competition? i’m just not sure if it’s good enough.”_

 

_“what do you mean good enough? it’s not fancy enough for you?” jihyo glared._

 

_“no, no. it’s a perfect recipe, you know.”_

 

_“exactly! so what is your issue with it?”_

 

_“it’s just boring?” mina rest her chin on jihyo’s shoulder, but jihyo shrugged her off. “it’s a great recipe, but you know, it’s basic.”_

 

_“i know.” jihyo sighed. “ok, what do you propose?”_

 

_“well…”_

 

the two bakers walked back to their station, jeongyeon fuming the whole way back while jihyo kept her eyes straight. if she looked back, even for a half of a second, she was scared of what she might do, or worse, what she might feel.

 

as the other competitors presented their cupcakes to the judges, jihyo struggled to stay focused, try to think of their next move. but all she could think about was the cute little mole mina had, and the way she had bitten into the cupcake…

 

jeongyeon nudged her, successfully shaking jihyo out of her daydream. making a face at jihyo, she scrunched her nose and then laughed silently, gesturing towards the competitors who were being judged. they had taken a rather avant garde approach to the theme, and upon seeing “oysters” on the aphrodisiac list, they decided to make a rather predictably strange cupcake, which the judges seemed to have a hard time swallowing.

 

wincing, jihyo clenched her teeth. while she really wanted to win, this was televised, and one wrong move could really hurt one’s business. hopefully “ding dong” bakery would be able to survive this debacle. at the same time, jihyo let out a relieved sigh. she hadn’t realized it at first, but mina’s criticism about their “blah” vanilla cupcake made her think the worst. now, hopefully, someone had done even worse than they had. jihyo pushed that thought out of her head. that was too cruel, even for a high stakes competition like this.

 

“now that the judges have tasted all of your cupcakes, they will now leave the room for deliberation.” mr. hollywood host announced, and the judges left the room. the kitchen was tense; everyone held their breaths, unsure of the outcome.

 

jeongyeon tapped her fingers against the counter top, much to the chagrin of the two at the station next to theirs, but they said nothing, too nervous to really care.

 

_“in first place, ‘jihyo park!’” jihyo couldn’t move, frozen in place. mina smiled from beside her, pushing her gently towards the stage. and almost thoughtlessly, jihyo stumbled forward to receive the bouquet and the large check they handed her._

 

_looking out into the crowd, jihyo could only see one face smiling out at her- mina. and it was in that moment that jihyo thought,_

 

_“i love her.” the weight of it hit her hard. they had been dating for over a year already, and while they had long since exchanged the first awkward “i love you”s, this was different. because now, jihyo knew that mina was the one._

 

_and for the rest of the night, jihyo couldn’t stop smiling. because after everything, she was finally sure. after months of  mulling it over and restless nights, she was finally ready to do it._

 

_so when she pulled mina out behind the bar, the velvet box weighing heavy in her purse, she could only smile._

 

_“mina…” jihyo began, but was interrupted by the sound of mina’s phone._

 

“the judges have made their decisions. please welcome them back.” upon the judges’ return, there was a bit of light applause from the contestants, but most of them were too nervous to care much for manners and decorum.

 

“thank you,” momo smiled, “now, it was a tough decision, but we have come to an agreement. sana?”

 

“yup! everyone had tasty and ‘unique’ cupcakes, but unfortunately, we will have to eliminate one of you this round. so first, we’ll announce our top pick, and then our bottom two.”

 

“these two bakers had a moist and light bake, and interesting flavors throughout their cupcakes. not only did they come up with unique flavors, but they also managed to balance them perfectly between the buttercream, the filling, and the actual cake. our top pick is… ‘say yes’ bakery.” mina nodded towards their “top pick,” the set clapping in congratulations.

 

“unfortunately,” sana continued, “we will also have to announce our bottom two.”

 

“this bakery had a unique idea, but in the end, were unable to execute it. i’m sorry ‘ding dong.’”

 

“these bakers had amazing flavors, but their cakes fell flat… literally. their cupcakes were under baked, and their buttercream was runny. sorry, ‘jelly jelly.’”

 

“that means that ‘one in a million’ bakery is safe! the bottom two, please step forward.” mr. hollywood host called out, and while jihyo was relieved, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

 

“at least we’re safe,” jeongyeon whispered, trying to reassure jihyo. she took jihyo’s hand, and after a moment, jihyo squeezed back, trying to say ‘i’m fine.’

 

mina smiled, but jihyo knew it was the one she used when she was uncomfortable. “from the bottom two teams, one of you will be going home tonight.”

 

“it was a hard choice, but unfortunately...” sana lowered her eyes, “i’m sorry ‘ding dong’  bakery.”

 

the two bakers nodded, but as they walked back to gather their things, jihyo saw them wiping away tears. and as they walked past, the rest of the bakers approached. they could only offer a hug and a few kind words before the two were forced to leave the set.

 

taking a deep breath to calm herself, jihyo turned to jeongyeon, “this is really happening, huh?”

 

_jihyo leaned against the wall of the bar, holding the ring box behind her back. mina was still on the phone, but jihyo wasn’t in a rush. they had the rest of their lives, after all._

 

_“jihyo…” mina had hung up and she turned towards jihyo, “you know that pastry chef position i applied for?”_

 

_“yeah. what about it?”_

 

_“they said i have the job!” mina grinned, her excitement obvious._

 

_“that’s great, baby!” jihyo exclaimed, but she slipped the velvet box back into her purse. maybe it wasn’t the right time yet._

 

_“but…” mina hesitated, “they want me to go to their location in japan.”_

 

_jihyo kept smiling, but it felt empty all of a sudden. japan. japan?_

 

_“japan! that’s great!”_

 

_“really?” mina’s face dropped, but only for a moment._

 

_“of course. i’ll support you wherever you need to go,” jihyo pulled mina close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. they weren’t in a hurry. they had the rest of their lives, right?_

 

“the remaining contestants will be competing in a second challenge. continuing with the ‘true love’ theme, will be asked to make a swiss roll, taking inspiration from famous valentine’s day candies. you have 60 minutes… starting now!”

 

jihyo immediately went for a piece of parchment paper, quickly sketching out little templates to emulate the “love me” candies. she looked at jeongyeon, who nodded and started the batter for an easy sponge cake.

 

“white chocolate?” jihyo asked, and jeongyeon hummed in response. While they could decorate their roll with the conversation hearts, thir chalky taste left much to be desired, and chocolate was a common gift during valentine’s day. white chocolate would help preserve the design while still providing the chocolate taste everyone expected.

 

taking a quick glance around, jihyo realized that almost everyone was taking a similar route- a chocolate roll. honestly, there wasn’t much choice when it came to valentine’s candies, but hopefully they could stand out.

 

jeongyeon passed jihyo the batter, and she quickly poured out small portion into separate bowls, adding food coloring to get the soft pastel colors of the conversation hearts. once they were mixed, jeongyeon helped her put the batter into piping bags, and she piped the hearts onto the baking sheet as quickly as she could without messing up.

 

finishing up the hearts, jihyo placed the baking sheets in the oven to bake for a couple minutes, allowing the design to set, before pouring in the rest of the cake batter. as she walked back towards jeongyeon, jihyo absent mindedly licked at her lips, already red from how much she had been nervously biting it all day. this competition was definitely taking a toll on her. and not just the competition, but seeing… mina after so long was shocking to say the least. they hadn’t really had any interaction, but even being in the same room with her made jihyo antsy.

 

after all those years, jihyo had thought she was over mina, but being so close to her now brought back memories and feelings that she had long since forgotten. suddenly, it was like they had just broken up the day before, and not two years ago.

 

_“when i come back,” mina smiled, her face wet with tears, “we’ll definitely open ‘one in a million,’ okay?”_

 

_“promise.” jihyo wiped away a stray tear, her thumb gentle against mina’s cheek. this was it. only a couple more hours and mina would be gone. “don’t have too much fun, hm?”_

 

_“i could never without you.” turning towards the growing line in front of security, mina took a deep, shuddering breath. “well, i had better go.”_

 

_“okay.” jihyo pressed a soft kiss to mina’s forehead, before walking her to the end of the line. she blinked quickly; she couldn’t cry now. she had to be strong for mina._

 

_mina walked in front of her, slowly dragging her carry-on bag behind her. this was it. their last day together. jihyo lifted her hand one last time, a sorry excuse for a wave goodbye, but she hardly felt up to the task. but instead of leaving, mina took jihyo’s raised hand in hers, before pulling jihyo down into a firm kiss._

 

_“now i can say goodbye,” mina gasped. “i love you.”_

 

_“i love you too.”_

 

lost in her memories, jihyo was only pulled out by the host beginning the ending countdown. somehow, she had auto piloted her way through the challenge, and the two of the had successfully finished their swiss roll.

 

“...step away from your swiss rolls. the judges will start with the first group.”  two girls approached the judges’ table, “jelly jelly” bakery. as the judges took their first bites, the two of them anxiously held each others hands, hoping for the best. jihyo watched mina chew her bite a couple times before making eye contact with sana and momo and nodding.

 

“well. there isn’t really an easy way to say this.” the whole set held their breath in anticipation. sana continued, “last time, we were disappointed by your under baked cupcakes. this time, your swiss roll… i have three words to describe it: light, refreshing, perfect.” the two girls exhaled, relieved.

 

“i totally agree.” momo cut in, “i didn’t expect a chocolate sponge to taste so light, but you guys pulled it off.”

 

“i noticed you adding espresso powder to the batter, and i can tell it really helped you guys out. the coffee and chocolate notes blend perfectly, without either element being too overbearing. congratulations.” mina smiled warmly towards the contestants.

 

“thank you very much!” the two bakers collected their swiss roll from the judges before walking back to their station, their happiness obvious. jihyo and jeongyeon shared a glance. they were happy for their fellow contestants, but this somehow added to the pressure. hopefully their roll could meet the judges’ expectations.

 

“‘one in a million,’ please bring up your swiss roll.”

 

“shit!” jihyo cursed under her breath. she picked up their serving platter, and made her way to the front with jeongyeon.

 

the judges took cautious bites, nodding or glancing at each other all the while, and in her anxiety, jihyo barely even realized she was digging her nails into the palm of her hand. her fists clenched tighter, and jeongyeon, realizing the situation, quickly grabbed jihyo’s hand to stop her. the two of them, too caught up in their worry, were too busy to notice mina’s eyes narrowing at the act.

 

but even thought jeongyeon could stop jihyo’s hand, jihyo couldn’t stop biting her lip, her teeth digging into the bottom lip. the pressure was excruciating, and the only thing worse was the waiting.

 

“just like last time, you two have brought us an exceptional bake.” sana smiled, and jeongyeon relaced, but jihyo was still unsatisfied. “not only is it tasty and baked well, but i see you put a little conversation hearts design on it, which i think is really cute!”

 

“when i saw you piping the hearts on, i was a little worried that you wouldn’t have enough time to finish everything, but you two pulled it off, and it looks and tastes amazing.”

 

“yes, your roll is very pretty, and it’s baked technically perfectly. however, the white chocolate flavor does not stand out enough. as i said before, it’s very ‘blah.’” mina’s words were the ones that hurt the most, and it took everything in jihyo not to object, but instead she bit her tongue, and respectfully choked out a,

 

“thank you very much!”

 

the last group was called up, and soon after, the judges left for deliberation. jihyo chewed on the inside of her cheek; even though she and mina hadn’t exactly split on amicable terms, there wasn’t really a reason to act like this, right? especially after so many years. or maybe it wasn’t about that, and her bakes were really just subpar. jihyo shut her eyes, shaking her head, like that could somehow knock all the negativity out.

 

_“this user is unavailable.” the monotone voice called out, almost taunting jihyo._

 

_jihyo sighed, putting her phone down before getting out of bed. having a long distance relationship was hard. besides the obvious difficulties of being apart of long stretches of time, there was also the matter of time differences and scheduling conflicts. all that combined meant that jihyo had barely been able to hear mina’s voice that week, just a rushed “hi,” and “i love you, bye!”_

 

_jihyo understood that this was a big move for mina. if she did well here, she would be set for life. the restaurant she had been hired by was highly prestigious, and many of their chefs were highly acclaimed. so of course, jihyo was happy, and supported her in her decision._

 

_at the same time, was it so hard to pick up the phone once in a while? maybe jihyo was being a little bitter, but ever since mina had moved, jihyo had been the only one to really initiate any contact; every phone call, every text conversation was started by her._

 

_“well,” a little voice in the back of jihyo’s head said, “it might not be mina’s fault. she must be really stressed right now, especially since she’s in a new neighborhood, in a new kitchen, and with people she doesn’t even know.”_

 

_so jihyo conceded, and picked up her phone again to type out a quick text._

 

_“rest up. i love you.”_

 

the three women walked back in, and the host addressed the camera.

 

“after a long discussion,” jihyo rolled her eyes- it had been a couple of minutes at most, but it seemed like everything had to be exaggerated for viewers’ sakes. “the judges have made their decision.”

 

“yes, and it was really hard this round. everyone brought their best, and honestly, it ended up being super close.” momo grimaced.

 

“i’ll be announcing our top pick this round.” sana grinned, and maybe it was jihyo’s imagination, but mina’s gaze seemed to be focused on their station. “these two bakers produced a swiss roll that was not only tasty and well-baked, but beautiful as well. their decoration reflected the childish nature of valentine’s day, but wasn’t tacky or immature. congratulations, ‘one in a million.’”

 

jihyo gasped, turning towards jeongyeon. the two of them embraced, too caught up in their celebration to care about anything else. they were safe for another round.

 

“sadly, there can only be one other team that will advance to the finals. this was a really hard choice for us, but the difference between these two groups was one small, but vital thing- balance. ‘jelly jelly’ had a delicious swiss roll, and was perfectly baked- a stark contrast to their cupcakes the round before.” the two girls from “jelly jelly” winced at mina’s blunt statement, “furthermore, they were able to use espresso powder to bring out the chocolate flavor, and they did so without drowning out the delicate chocolate notes.”

 

“‘say yes,’” sana continued, “paired chocolate with cinnamon, and it was delicious and perfectly baked. however…. they were a little heavy handed with the cinnamon, and this led to the taste being slightly overwhelming. so, i’m sorry ‘say yes.’”

 

the two bakers from “say yes” smiled, muttering their thanks to the judges before packing up their equipment and saying goodbye.

 

“cut! that’s a wrap.” the camera crew relaxed, and the four remaining contestants gathered in the middle of the set to talk. but before they could get a word out, one of the crew approached.

 

“don’t forget to come back again tomorrow, same time.” they would be filming the finals, and needless to say, jihyo hardly felt prepared.

 

“are you ready for tomorrow?” one of the girls from “jelly jelly” spoke up, a bubbly looking girl. she grinned, and jihyo knowing jeongyeon so well, knew that she must have been really holding back from poking at the girl’s dimples.

 

“hardly,” jihyo replied, but despite her negative response, her tone was light. the other girls seemed to understand her meaning, and the tall, quiet one let out a short chuckle.

 

_“sorry, baby,” mina rubbed her eyes, “i was so tired after work the other day, i just passed out.”_

 

_“i understand. you have to stay rested, anyway. don’t want to fall asleep on the job, right?” jihyo laughed, peering at mina, her image pixelated and blurry on the screen._

 

_“yeah, that would be,” mina yawned, “bad.”_

 

_“are you sleepy? i can go if you need to sleep.”_

 

_“no, no. you don’t have to. i missed you.” mina rolled over in bed, propping the phone up so she could lay on her side without holding it._

 

_“me too. i missed you a lot. it’s been pretty hard without you, but once you come back, i know we’ll do everything we said we were gonna do. move in together, open our bakery… get married,” jihyo looked back down at the phone screen, smiling once she realized mina was fast asleep. “good night. i love you.”_

 

jeongyeon left the studio before jihyo, eager to get back to their hotel room. so jihyo finished packing up their stuff, before carrying it out to her car. pushing it into the trunk, jihyo stood still for a second, trying to decide whether it would be easier to just keep it there for the night.

 

“it would probably be easier to just leave it in the trunk.” jihyo heard a soft voice behind her, and turned over her shoulder to respond.

 

“yeah, i was thinking the same-” her voice trailed off when she saw who was standing behind her. jihyo cleared her throat, “hi, mina.”

 

“long time no see.” mina smiled. jihyo kept a friendly expression, but inside her head, she was panicking.

 

“uh,” jihyo turned around fully, facing mina directly, “did you need something?”

 

“i just,” she swallowed hard, “i wanted to say ‘hi’ to an old friend.”

 

“well, that’s me. an old friend. so old.” jihyo blabbered, and while internally, she was yelling for herself to shut up, somehow her mouth kept moving.

 

“i, uh, saw you opened the bakery.” mina interrupted.

 

“yeah. we’ve been open for a year already.”

 

“you kept the name?” the two of them had always wanted to open a bakery together, and while they were together, they had picked out a name, “one in a million.” mina had said it represented them- even though they had been born in two completely different countries, even though they came from two very different backgrounds, they had still found each other in the end. now, jihyo thought back on it with a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

“yeah, it seemed to good a name to waste.” jihyo’s phone buzzed, and she checked it to see that jeongyeon had already arrived at the hotel. “mina…”

 

“you need to go? it’s okay. i just wanted to see how you were doing.” mina turned to leave.

 

“no, wait.” jihyo reached out, grabbing mina’s hand before she could leave, but letting it go just as quickly. “i know you’re doing well, and i know you have everything you could ever want not, but i really, truly hope you’re happy now.”

 

“jihyo…” mina looked like she had a lot more to say, but she just couldn’t push out the words.

 

“bye, mina.” jihyo turned away, getting into her car. resting her head against the back of her seat, jihyo closed her eyes. how long had it been? how many years had they been apart? and still, mina could make her feel this way with a couple words. slapping her cheeks lightly, jihyo put on her seatbelt and strengthened her resolve. but still…

 

well, she would have to let go eventually, but maybe she could hold on for a little while longer. glancing at mina in her side mirror, jihyo felt a little pang in her heart. or maybe it would be better to just bite the bullet and stop.


	2. day two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you'd think time would make it easier, but some things never change

      _jihyo fell into bed after washing up, too tired to bother drying her hair. rolling over onto her side, jihyo stared at her phone. should she call mina? it had been a couple days, and mina hadn’t been able to pick up- too busy she had said. and jihyo understood, but still, she was a little bitter._

 

_“if she wants to talk,” jihyo muttered, “she can call me herself.” she slammed her phone down on her bedside table, and turned over, ready to go to sleep._

 

_but she tossed and turned; her heart felt uneasy. it truly wasn’t mina’s fault that she was so busy, and after all, shouldn’t she be supportive. so jihyo sat up in bed again, and turned on her lamp. maybe she should just send a “good night” text._

 

_brushing her hair out of her eyes, jihyo reached for her phone, but was startled by a sudden buzzing. a call?_

 

the first thing jihyo heard when she woke up was a familiar buzz. reaching out her arm, jihyo felt around for her phone.

 

    “hello?” jihyo’s voice was deep with sleep.

 

    “where are you? weren’t we going to get breakfast before filming?” jihyo lifted her head, checking the time.

 

    “shit!” she sprung up, rushing to the bathroom, “i just woke up, i’ll just eat something on set.” jihyo cursed, trying to comb her hair as quickly as possible. it was a good thing she took showers at night, otherwise that would be another twenty minutes wasted.

 

    “don’t worry. i’ll just pick you up something to-go. see you there. and hurry up, stupid.” jeongyeon laughed. the two of them had been working together for a long time, and she knew that on days when jihyo was particularly stressed, she would often sleep late, and end up sleeping in.

 

    so a stubbed toe, a half-buttoned blouse and a slow heating curler later, jihyo rolled into the studio parking lot. luckily, she was still some ten minutes earlier than they were scheduled to meet, so jihyo didn’t feel the need to rush in, instead taking the time to finish buttoning her shirt before she walked into set. smoothing her hair in the window’s reflection, jihyo caught the eye of another person’s reflection.

 

    “ah, sorry. am i blocking your way?” jihyo turned around, lowering her head in apology, but it snapped up just as fast once she realized who it was.

 

    “good morning, jihyo.” mina smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

    “good morning.” jihyo smiled back, “if you don’t mind, i’ll be leaving first.” jihyo began to move past, but mina held jihyo’s sleeve before she could pass.

 

    “sorry,” she quickly let go, “i just- if we could continue our conversation from yesterday.”

 

    “well, i don’t know about you, but they told me i have to be on set by 8:30, so i really don’t want to be late.” jihyo turned around. she shut her eyes, trying to walk away as quickly as possible. every second she spent near mina reminded her of feelings and memories that she had spent a long time trying to forget.  

 

    “jihyo…” mina called out, barely a whisper, and jihyo either didn’t hear or didn’t want to hear.

 

    jeongyeon waved as soon as she saw jihyo walk on set, and jihyo stuck out her tongue, her bad mood gone already. she just had to get through this last taping, and it was over. she would never have to see mina again.

 

    _“hello?” jihyo answered the phone._

 

_“have you been on instagram lately?”_

 

_“what? nayeon? is this important?” jihyo rolled her eyes. nayeon was one of her oldest friends, but she often got wound up over inconsequential things._

 

_“yes! yes! just check mina’s profile.” mina? jihyo, curious, opened the app, and searched up her girlfriend’s name. oh. there, a recently made post._

 

_mina looked pretty as always, but it was the caption that got jihyo. “another late night adventure.” and maybe it was silly, but jihyo clenched her fist unconsciously. here she was, looking like a fool, waiting by her phone for just a couple of minutes on the phone, when her own girlfriend couldn’t be bothered to even answer a call._

 

_“i know it’s-” jihyo hung up on nayeon, too angry to think. okay, if mina wanted to play that game, jihyo could too. if mina couldn’t be bothered to pick up her phone, then jihyo wouldn’t either._

 

“ugh. thank god, i needed this.” jihyo groaned around a mouthful of bagel, jeongyeon patting her head good naturedly.

 

    “no need to call my god. i just bought you a bagel.”

 

    “shut up.” jihyo rolled her eyes. seeing one of the crew calling everyone forward, jihyo scarfed down the rest of her breakfast and dragged jeongyeon along.

 

    “alright, this is our last day on set. if anybody doesn’t have their mic pack, please come up. any other problems, let us know. let’s make it a good one!” the crew member clapped their hands together when they finished.

 

    “you heard the man,” jeongyeon joked, “let’s make it a good one!” jihyo shoved jeongyeon forward.

 

    “you’re so fucking mean.” jeongyeon stuck her tongue out.

 

    “at least i know how to button my shirt correctly.” jihyo looked down, frowning when she noticed she had missed a button. fixing it quickly, jihyo raised a fist, as if to hit her friend,

 

    “bitch.” the two of them laughed, too busy joking around to notice mina, looking longingly at the pair.

 

    “we start in two minutes.” a crew member called out. jihyo and jeongyeon took their places behind their station, and looked at each other for reassurance.

 

    “we can do it!” jeongyeon mouthed.

 

    “of course, i can, but can you?” jihyo mouthed back.

 

    “shut up.” jihyo winked.

 

    “good luck.” they clasped hands, and jihyo squeezed it for encouragement. and in no time, the camera crew was already in position, ready to film.

 

    “welcome back,” mr. hollywood host was back, and looking as blonde as ever, “today, we’re at the finals, a fierce competition between ‘one in a million’ bakery and ‘jelly jelly’ bakery. unfortunately, in our valentine’s day themed contest, there can only be one winner. who will it be?”

 

    jihyo swallowed hard. this was it.

 

    “now, to welcome back our judges. momo hirai, sana minatozaki, and this episode’s guest judge: mina myoui!” everyone on set clapped as the judges took their seats, “they will be introducing the final challenge.”

 

    “thank you. continuing with our ‘true love’ theme, you are free to make any dessert you want, as long as it follows the theme.” sana smiled, the task seemed simple, but sometimes, too much freedom was bad.

 

    jihyo screamed internally. what were they going to do? how could a dessert show true love? she bit her lip, trying to keep herself from going completely ballistic.

 

    “you have four hours.” the time seemed hellish, but really, jihyo was already rushing in her mind. if she wanted to make a cake, it would take time to bake, then cool, then decorate, and what if she didn’t want a cake after all. jeongyeon noticed jihyo freaking out, and pat her back firmly.

 

    “we got this.”

 

    “we got this.” jihyo nodded and then turned back towards jeongyeon, “two-tier cake. sugar work.”

 

    “sounds good.” jeongyeon immediately got to work, making the measurements for a standard white cake. jihyo set out to start making the decorations- she would make some sugarwork for the top, and pipe a design around the sides. raising her head, jihyo caught mina’s eye, who flashed her a quick thumbs up despite the conflicted look on her face.

 

    hit by something like inspiration, jihyo turned towards jeongyeon, “use my recipe.”

 

    “which… recipe?”

 

    “the one you’re not allowed to make.” jihyo had kept this recipe close to her heart for ages, and even now, it felt almost wrong to give it away.

 

    “really? i mean, okay.” the two of them had known each other for a couple years now, and jihyo had never told jeongyeon why she wasn’t allowed to make this one particular recipe. it was a favorite of the regulars, and in high demand, but no matter how busy they were, jihyo always insisted on making it herself.

 

    jihyo turned around, giving a small smile in response to mina’s discrete thumbs up, and got to work. she had a long four hours ahead of her.

 

    _her phone was ringing. taking one look at the caller id, jihyo was tempted to let it keep ringing, but after a couple more buzzes, she gave in._

 

_“hello?”_

 

_“hey!” mina’s voice came through, soft and sweet as ever, “i haven’t heard from you in a while.”_

 

_“i…” jihyo scowled, “haven’t had a lot of time lately.”_

 

_“ugh, don’t i know. i have been so busy here,” jihyo scoffed, “barely had any time to myself, you know.”_

 

_“oh, i know.” jihyo sneered. it had been such a small thing, but all of a sudden it felt big._

 

_“what’s wrong? are you mad or something?”_

 

_“mina, you know i follow you on instagram, right?”_

 

_“yeah, so?” mina was confused._

 

_“you know, it’s nothing. whatever.”_

 

_“no. it’s something. what is it?”_

 

_“i just-” jihyo laughed. “i just think it’s funny how you never have time to pick up my calls, but you have time to go out with your new friends.”_

 

_“well, i-”_

 

_“you know, i never asked for much. i just wanted you to answer me once in a while, to actually talk to me. am i still your girlfriend, or just a burden to you now?”_

 

_“jihyo-”_

 

_“just because you’re a big shot now, you can forget everyone here at home? you know i called you every single day, and when you didn’t answer, i still texted. you couldn’t call me once? you couldn’t start a conversation once?”_

 

_“i see what this is about,” mina laughed._

 

_“excuse me?” maybe it was the cell quality, maybe it was all her pent up frustration, but jihyo swore it sounded like mina was being condescending._

 

_“i know you’re upset i’m gone.” oh._

 

_“i mean i am, but-”_

 

_“listen, jihyo. this is a good opportunity, and you know it. maybe if you had put yourself out there too, instead of only thinking about your ‘one in a million’ bakery, you could be here too!”_

 

_jihyo scoffed, shocked beyond words._

 

_“jihyo?”_

 

_“i thought ‘one in a million’ was our dream, but it looks like i was mistaken. thank you for everything, mina.”_

 

_“jihyo! wait-”_

 

_“goodbye.” jihyo hung up, trying to be strong, but once she put her phone down, she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing._

 

the two girls worked hard up until the end. while the cake was baking, they were finishing up on the sugar work. while the cake was cooling, they were mixing the buttercream. and now, they were putting the finishing touches on their cake, jihyo’s steady hand piping a simple design along the side. they had decided to decorate it like a wedding cake, with little sugar roses sticking out from the top and sides.

 

    “if this doesn’t win, i don’t know what will,” jeongyeon bit out, carefully placing the sugar roses on the top of the cake.

 

    “shut up. you might jinx it.”

 

    “fuck.” jeongyeon quickly rapped three times on the countertop.

 

    “that’s not wood, you dumbass.”

 

    “fuck!” she quickly tapped on one of their wooden spoons. “satisfied?”

   

    “very,” jihyo licked a bit of buttercream off her finger, “i’m done.”

 

    “contestants, you have one minute left!” jihyo and jeongyeon looked at each other.

 

    “just in time!”

 

    “can you check if we need anything else?” jeongyeon nodded and gently turned the cake around, her eyes scanning the cake.

 

    “looks good.” jihyo exhaled, relieved, and the two of them began cleaning up their station.

 

    “time is up in 5, 4, 3, 2...1! step away from your bakes.” jihyo and jeongyeon stepped away, jihyo’s hands already sweating in anticipation.

 

    “‘one in a million,’ please bring your dessert up.” jeongyeon and jihyo carried the cake carefully. as they watched the judges taste their dessert, jihyo couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. this was it.

 

    “can you please tell us how you were inspired to make this dessert?” momo asked, a friendly smile on her face.

 

    “well, the design is modeled after a wedding cake, because as a pair of romantics, doesn’t it make sense to marry your true love?” jeongyeon started.

 

    “yes.” sana smiled, softly putting her hand over momo’s. everyone on set gasped, but really, no one  was that surprised. mina made eye contact with jihyo, and after getting over her initial shock, rolled her eyes, as if she were making fun of the happy couple. jihyo allowed herself to smile back a little, as though they had shared some secret joke, but inside she was panicking. what would mina think of their dessert?

 

    mina finally took a bite of the cake, and her eyes widened. “this taste…” she looked at jihyo directly.

 

    “it’s the taste of… her lips.” jeongyeon, along with everyone else on set, nearly broke her neck to look at jihyo.

 

    “my, uh, my ex-girlfriend and i used to bake together a lot, and one day, i wanted to make something inspired by her. and there were two things that i could always be sure about- that she would wear her vanilla chapstick, and that she would have a cup of chai tea in the morning. and when she kissed me, it was the sweetest taste in the world.”

 

    “really?” mina chewed on her lip.

 

    “really. and-” jihyo continued, “after, we didn’t really part on the best terms, but whenever i make this cake, i only remember the good times we had together, and the taste of her lips. i think, if we hadn’t broken up, i probably would’ve…”

 

    “what?” mina prompted, leaning forward.

 

    “i probably would’ve married you.” jihyo looked directly at mina, “uh, i mean, her.” she looked away again.

 

    “thank you, ‘one in a million’ bakery, ‘jelly jelly’ please come up,” the host stepped in front, trying to keep to the time restraints. jihyo and jeongyeon stepped back, carrying their cake back, and jihyo smiled genuinely. after so long, she could finally tell mina everything she had wanted to say, and she could finally let go of all the anger she had held in for so long, and forgive mina. but honestly, jihyo had forgiven mina a long time ago, and she knew it, because deep down, she could never be mad at mina.

 

    _no matter how mad she had been, she shouldn’t have changed her number. jihyo mentally face palmed, fully regretting blocking mina on every social media platform after their argument. they were really over, huh? and over such a small thing..._

 

    _“jihyo?” jihyo looked up from the counter._

 

_“yes?”_

 

_“ah! jihyo!” the girl said excitedly, tugging on the arm of another girl beside her. the two of them were dressed strangely, with big sunglasses and hats._

 

_“do i… know you?”_

 

_“no!” the girl exclaimed, too happy for jihyo’s taste._

 

_“okay…” jihyo considered calling the police._

 

_“we’ll take two of your special cakes!”_

 

_“what special cake?” “one in a million” bakery hadn’t been open for long, but it seemed like word had been spreading about them._

 

_“um….” the girl hesitated, “never mind! we’ll take one of everything!”_

 

_“are you sure?” jihyo’s eyes widened. they had never gotten an order this big or ridiculous before._

 

_“yes! thank you jihyo!” jihyo smiled back, confused, before packing up one of every pastry she had and ringing them up._

 

_“.... thank you.” the other girl finally spoke up, and maybe it was jihyo’s imagination, but her voice sounded just like mina’s._

 

_“... no problem.” jihyo looked at her stunned, and she quickly turned away, pulling the over excited girl away with their pastries._

 

“now, the judges will leave the room to make their final decision.” the four contestants looked at each other, too nervous to even breathe. the tension was high, and everyone on set could feel it. it seemed like even the seasoned crew members were holding their breath.

 

    it wasn’t long until the three women came back.

 

    “thank you for waiting.” sana nodded, “we’ve made our final decision.”

 

    “we’ve had a weekend full of both amazing and not so amazing bakes. so while the other rounds were judged based solely on that round, this final decision was made, thinking about all three of your bakes.” the two girls from “jelly jelly” sighed, disappointed. in the first round, they had produced an underbaked cupcake, and that would definitely reflect on them poorly. however, jihyo refused to celebrate even a little, still nervous.

 

    “both of the contestants proved their worth, but the winner pulled through in consistency and imagination.”

 

    “the winner we chose,” the whole room stilled in anticipation, “produced technically perfect bakes, while their decorations and flavors were unique. they proved they could stick to the rules, but also make their own new ones.”

 

    “congratulations,” mina smiled at jihyo, “‘one in a million.’”

 

    jihyo turned to jeongyeon, and the two embraced, holding each other tight. they had done it!

 

    “congrats.” the two girls from “jelly jelly” walked over, and held out their hands, which jihyo and jeongyeon heartily shook.

 

    “congratulations to our two winners, the bakers from ‘one in a million’ bakery!” mr. hollywood host cut in, presenting jihyo and jeongyeon with two bouquets.

 

    _jihyo looked at the picture on the website. “mina myoui, pastry chef”_

 

_“shit.” there was a number listed, no doubt a work number, but still. “should i?” she typed out the number on her phone, her finger hovering over the call button._

 

_would mina be mad? or… wait a minute, why should she call mina first anyway? it’s not like mina had ever tried to contact her first._

 

_so jihyo turned off her phone, tossing it onto her bed. she had gotten herself worked up again, and completely forgotten that mina had no way to get ahold of her. shit…_

 

“hey…” mina approached jihyo and jeongyeon once the cameras cut, “congratulations.” jeongyeon took a look at the two of them, and quickly made a decision.

 

    “um, i think i have to go… over there.” she scurried off, leaving jihyo to fend for herself. but for once, jihyo was glad.

 

    “hi.” jihyo smiled.

 

    “do you think we could talk?”

 

    “i think that would be best.” mina led jihyo to a little room to the side, probably where the judges had gone to deliberate.

 

    “jihyo…”

 

    “mina?”

 

    “listen, i just wanted to say sorry. i know we broke up, and i know it was mostly my fault. but i want you to know, at the time, i was going through a lot. i was so stressed out because i wanted to do well, i wanted to come back to you accomplished. and everytime you called me, i got scared that i wasn’t enough. and it’s no excuse, because i knew better than to ignore you, i knew better than to hang out with other people instead of with you… i knew better than to disregard our bakery. and i-”

 

    “mina.” jihyo interrupted, “you misunderstand me. honestly, i’m sorry too. i overreacted and didn’t let you explain yourself. but all i wanted was for you to talk to me. i was so lonely back home, and i only got mad because it felt like you were hanging out with other people while ignoring me, and i just got so mad-” jihyo laughed, “we just weren’t able to handle the distance.”

 

    “still,” mina clutched jihyo’s hands in hers, “i’m sorry. i know i’m bad at expressing myself and i know i-”

 

    “mina. it’s okay. i’m fine. we’re fine. i just hope you’re happy now, and i’m glad you found the success you wanted. i’ve found what i’ve wanted, and i’m glad you have too. and i honestly wish you everything you want.”

 

    “...really?” mina was stunned.

 

    “really.” jihyo pulled mina into a hug, letting herself get lost again, before snapping back to reality. “i love you.” she pressed a soft kiss to mina’s temple.

 

    and she meant it. because no matter how much time had passed, no matter what trial they went through, jihyo would always love mina. and mina would always love jihyo. that’s just the way it was. and while they hadn’t worked out the way she had wanted, at least now, they could both have closure.

 

    so jihyo walked out of the studio, feeling happy and renewed. a weight that had been a burden on her chest for two long years had finally been lifted, and she had another championship to place in her back pocket. finally, she was happy.

 

   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is this...... sis I KEEP REPEATING THAT SHES BITING HER LIP OR HOLDING A HAND. my unoriginal ass! anyway TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY ARE Y'ALL SCREAMING jk but i'm eighteen today (feb 10) so YEET also im shaking this chapter is lowkey wack and im like grrrr idek how i feel about this!!! but thank u all for the positive feedback and support :D im trying be famous on the internet (jk) again!!! im on twitter as @florallylly


	3. day ??

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a clean break doesn't always mean the end

_ jihyo bent over the counter, wiping it clean, completely blind to the door opening and closing behind her. _

 

_ “ah. hello. is this ‘one in a million’ bakery?” a soft voice chimed behind her.  _

 

_ “yup, how can i help you?” jihyo pushed her rag to the side, turning around to face the customer.  _

 

_ “well, i saw you on this show the other day, and i was curious about this cake.” jihyo gasped, faced with none other than mina myoui, “you said it tasted like my lips?”  _

 

_ “uh, um.” jihyo stuttered, “yeah..”  _

 

_ “it’s this one, miss.” jeongyeon called from behind the counter, an unimpressed look on her face, “you better be here to stay this time.” she threatened, eager to keep her friend’s heart safe, but when jihyo heard her, she turned, too flustered to do anything but blush and blubber.  _

 

_ “she’s joking, i, uh, um.”  _

 

_ “it’s okay. i recently got a job in the area, and i was hoping to find a bakery to come to for breakfast, and this cupcake is amazing, so i would say i’ve found my place.”  _

 

_ “you, i, what?”  _

 

_ “i said i’ve found my place here, miss park. and i think it’s with you.” mina leaned forward, but she could only flirt so much before she exploded, so her words rendered the both of them speechless.  _

 

_ “really?” jihyo blurted out. _

 

_ “really.” mina smiled.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's finally done i'm??? jk i finished literally like two months ago and when i finished it i was like um sis... i think u did something here, but its really just hhhh... anyway!! thank you so much for reading if you did!! and thanks for coming all the way to the end!!! i wanted to leave it kind of open ended but still p set, so i'll let you decide whether they ended up together or started over as friends or just moved on for good. (in my head, they get married and mina finds her way back to jihyo's side in the kitchen) and btw the day one, day two stuff is in terms of their meeting again so day ?? could be set anytime you want it to. a year in the future, the very next day, idek so lol
> 
> but yes!! i say this all the time and no one comes to talk to me :( but please make friends with me i'm on twitter @florallylly and i'm literally a lonely bitch thanks y'all

**Author's Note:**

> ok! this is probably really cringey but i deadass wrote this whole thing in like two-three days, and i'm lowkey proud of it??? not really i cringe at it all the time, but!!! i wrote this sis!! please ignore everything about baking b/c i bake at home recreationally, but i really don't know anything, so lbr this shit is gonna be wack and i'm sorry. also!!! sorry if it's really confusing but the past is in italics (before break up) and the present is not? in italics so yeet. if you wanna hit me up on twitter im @florallylly, and i really need some friends so pls dm me or smth?? thanks for reading y'all


End file.
